RACING Avenge Likely To Test Ray Ribbon On Saturday

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27633, 14 April 1955, Page 4

RACING Avenge Likely To Test Ray Ribbon On Saturday

Avenge, winner of the Champagne Stakdfe at Riccarton on Monday, and Ray Ribbon, the Great Autumn Handicap winner on Tuesday, should play big roles in the finish of the sixtythird Challenge Stakes on the third and final day of the Canterbury Jockey Club’s autumn meeting on Saturday. , . t The Challenge Stakes, run at weight for age, with penalties, has drawn 12 acceptors, including seven two-year-olds, but there are double acceptors among them. Motueka, West Indies, Blue Count, Ark Royal, and Montrose also have engagements in the Richmond Handicap. The three-year-old Ray Ribbon will attempt to concede up to 361 b to his opponents in the Challenge Stakes. Avenge, with 7st 51b, is 271 b below him, and that will be a task to test him to the utmost Two-year-olds have won the race 31 times since Loyalty, one of that age, was first to put his name on the records 62 years ago. Three-year-olds have had 14 successes, two of them coming in the last three years. The distance for the Challenge Stakes is seven furlongs. Avenge beat all but Romanos over that distance in the Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes on March 26, when he was conceding the Blb. He was a length from the winner at the end of a fast-run race. Avenge Fit Avenge’s stylish win over six furlongs in the Champagne Stakes leaves little doubt about his fitness. He was clearly superior to the South Island two-year-olds, and has his fourth placing in the Wellington Stakes to back his claim to success against older horses. Ray Ribbon started his three-year-old racing with a win over this distance at the last Grand National meeting. Most of his later tests were over more ground, but he returned to sprinting in the North Island Challenge Stakes at Trentham last month. He finished boldly to run the brilliant Auckland three-year-old, Somerset Fair, to three-quarters of a length. The others—and Avenge was among them—were beaten off. Avenge was sixth, a good way behind Ray Ribbon, and separated from the Riccarton colt by Redcraze, the outstanding handicap horse at the Auckland Racing Club’s Easter meeting; Hot Drop, which was to win the New Zealand St. Leger a week later; and Idaho, a winner at the Wairarapa meeting last week-end.

Tamrin should do best of those older than three. His racing in open company has been confined to handicap events, but this is probably his best distance, and his second to Kingship in the Great Easter Handicap appears to give him a good chance of increasing his winnings. The double on Saturday will be on the Sockburn and'Waltham Handicaps. Easterbrook, which ran Ray Ribbon close in the Great Autumn Handicap is the early favourite for the Sockburn Handicap, but betting may take a wider spread on the second leg. Clinker’s return to sprinting will command attention and bring heavier support for him. The bracketed pair, Field Chief and Ma Reine, and also a newcomer. Mighty Dollar, will make a success for Otago a strong possibility. The fields are:— 11.2 a.m.—- •

Gallant Peter (13) 7 10 Balloted out with right of re-entry in ' the following order: Lo Night (30) 7-9, Search Party (14) 7-9, Pinnacle (15) 7-9. Brackets: Lyndel’s Choice and Calcutta Sweep, Barrow Boy and Coin’s Edge. Decipher and First Fiddle, Hashish and I’m Alone, Majuba Hill and Mango, Miss Castlemaine and Pinnacle, Search Party and Surabaya. 1.12 p.m.—

PEERS WICK HURDLE RACE. Of £500. About one mile and threequarters and 60 yards. st. lb st. lb Harleston (8) 10 Exchequer 8 Conrad (4) Jolly 9 6 (7) 10 8 Miller (13) 9 4 Boyhood (1) 10 Wealthy (6) 10 6 Reformed (2) Felicitous 9 4 Ironside (11) 10 Some 4 (3) Grey 9 3 Bounder (12) 9 Brown 9 Valley (2) Superdowa 9 0 Baron (9) 9 9 (5) 9 0 11.42 a.m.— SIXTY-THIRD CHALLENGE STAKES, Of £1000. Seven furlongs. st. lb st. lb Ray Ribbon (12) 9 Gold 4 Seven Seas (9) Blue 7 4 Scheme (3) 9 Lord Fort (1) 9 1 1 Count (4) West 7 1 Tamrin (2) 9 Watch and 0 Indies (8) Ark 7 1 Wait (7) 8 9 Royal (10) 6 10 Avenge (5) 7 6 Motueka (6) 7 4 12.27 p.m.— YALDHURST Of £400. st. lb Montrose (11) HANDICAP, One mile. 6 10 st. lb Tulagi (26) 8 Spike 13 Alb (22) Cassamanda 7 9 Jones (9) 8 Meteorologist 11 D (5) Barrow 7 9 (10) 8 Tassin (21) 8 7 Boy (27) Calcutta 7 9 Sherpa (24) 8 Fleur (31) 8 4 Sweep (7) Coin's 7 9 Berwick (17) 8 1 Edge (28) 7 9 Mundus (12) 8 Spinning 1 Decipher (18) First 7 9 Maid (29) 8 De A Fiddle (8) Hashish (20) 7 9 7 9 Bracey (25) 8 Kiaree 0 I’m'Alone (4) Majuba 7 9 Beau (16) 7 Smuggles (19) 7 13 12 HUI (2) Mango (1) Miss Castle7 9 7 9 Gazette (3) 7 Lyndel’s Choice (6) 7 11 11 maine (23) Surabaya (11) 7 7

SOCKBURN HANDICAP, ° £ 8?ite Boskv (11) 8 IS mile and a half. ' st. lb Sir The Hffr «> 8 5 William (8) 7 9 Royal Abbot’s Voyage (2) 8 4 Easterbrook (13) 8 4 Choice (11) 7 3 Wait-a-Bit (14) 7 1 Toparoa,., (7) 8 2. Zingabo (10) 8 0 Americu* (5) 1 8 Ballast (3) 7 1 Demand (6) 7 0 Fictitious Half-a-CrtwH (9) 7 0 (12) 119 Solstice (1) 7 0 Brackett Americus and Demand. 1.57 p Jn. \ HANDICAP, Of £50Qj Two-yea: r-olds. Six furlongs. st. lb *tn> Motueka (3) 8 12 Persia (2) 8 2 Skylight QI) • 3 Red Peak (9) 8 1 West J Montrose (7) 7 12 Indie* (12) 8 8 Jewel Royal Blue (6) 7 10 Count (18) 8 • Le Roi (4) 7 7 Tess (5) 8 1® Beau Chat Ark Royal . * * (1) 7 7 Brackets: Skylight Royal and Persia. and Montrose, Ark

2.42 p.m.— MERIVALE HANDICAP. Of £500. One mile and a quarter st. lb st. b Demi Jour Passchene(14) 9 11 daele (5) 8 3 Cornflake Inspire (2) 8 2 (10) 9 2 Saba (7) 7 13 Michael Ultra (8) 7 13 Brlerly (3) 9 1 Cloque (13) 7 8 Macduff (16) 8 9 Belle Nuit San Antonio (15) 7 7 (6) 8 5 Poilu (9) 7 7 Scuppered Royal Glade (17) 8 4 (11) •7 7 Goldwyn (1) 8 4 Tarantella The Bruiser (12) 7 7 (4) 8 3 Bracket: Macduff ■nd Poilu. 3.27 p.m.— WALTHAM HANDICAP. Of £1000. Seven furlongs. st. lb st. lb Clinker (9) 9 7 Rio Negro Field Chief (17) 7 8 (22) 8 13 Okaruru (18) 7 5 Lord Fort (6) 8 10 Adversary Fulgent (1) 8 3 (2) 7 0 Strato (20) 8 3 Dixie Leigh Lord (16) 7 0 Rowallan (11) 8 2 Major Ma Reine (8) 7 13 Neptune (19) 7 0 Declare (10) 7 11 Royal Accountant Warrant (4) 7 0 (15) 7 11 Russleigh (5) 7 0 Johnny Peep Saranac - (7) 7 0 (14) 7 10 Scotch Gift Pack Drill (3) 7 0 (2) 7 10 Suphero (12) 7 0 Mighty Dollar (13) 7 10 Brackets: Field Chief and Ma Reine. Fulgent and Pack Drill. 4.12 p.m.— GIMCRACK HANDICAP, Of £500. Seven furlongs. st. lb st lb Princess Shaiba (12) 7 9 Neptune (2) Dahlia (8) 9 9 3 2 Iroquoi (1) Airscol (11) 7 8 7 Assembly (•) 8 12 Barbara Dare Melinda (7) 7 7 Jane (4) 8 12 Dartaway (5) 7 7 Honest John Silent (3) 8 10 Friend (14) 7 7 Teko (10) 8 9 Golden Shoes Chellene (15) 13 (9) 7 7 Roi du Bois (13) 7 13